Living Working Leuven Internet

Living & Working in Leuven
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INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................4 BELGIUM ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 LEUVEN .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 IMEC .............................................................................................................................................................. 5
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ARRIVAL IN BELGIUM ............................................................................................................................... 6 A. PRIOR TO ARRIVAL ......................................................................................................................................... 6 RELOCATION .................................................................................................................................................... 6 DOCUMENTS .................................................................................................................................................... 6 B. UPON ARRIVAL.............................................................................................................................................. 6
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ACCOMMODATION ..................................................................................................................................8 SEARCHING HOUSING ......................................................................................................................................... 8 COST (INDICATIVE PRICES) ................................................................................................................................... 8 RENTAL CONTRACT ............................................................................................................................................ 8 DEPOSIT ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 SUPPLEMENTARY EXPENSES (UTILITIES) ................................................................................................................... 9 FIRE INSURANCE ................................................................................................................................................ 9 WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF PROBLEMS? ..................................................................................................................... 9
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HEALTH CARE ......................................................................................................................................... 10 GENERAL PRACTITIONERS & SPECIALISTS ............................................................................................................... 10 DENTAL CARE ................................................................................................................................................. 10 MEDICAL BILLS AND REIMBURSEMENT .................................................................................................................. 10 PHARMACIES .................................................................................................................................................. 10 HOSPITALS .................................................................................................................................................... 11 THERMOMETERS ............................................................................................................................................. 11 VACCINATIONS ............................................................................................................................................... 11 SOS EMERGENCY SERVICES AND NUMBERS ......................................................................................................... 11
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SOCIAL SECURITY & INSURANCES ........................................................................................................... 12 SOCIAL SECURITY ............................................................................................................................................. 12 INSURANCES .................................................................................................................................................. 12
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MONEY MATTERS................................................................................................................................... 15 PAYMENT ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 TAXES .......................................................................................................................................................... 16
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DAY CARE & BABY SITTING..................................................................................................................... 17 DAY CARE SERVICES.......................................................................................................................................... 17 BABYSITTING SERVICES ...................................................................................................................................... 18
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EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................................ 19 SCHOOL SYSTEM ............................................................................................................................................. 19 FURTHER EDUCATION ....................................................................................................................................... 20
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TRANSPORT............................................................................................................................................ 21 GETTING THERE .............................................................................................................................................. 21 GETTING AROUND ........................................................................................................................................... 21
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COMMUNICATION.............................................................................................................................. 25
POSTAL SERVICES ............................................................................................................................................ 25 GETTING CONNECTED ....................................................................................................................................... 25 CABLE TELEVISION AND DIGITAL TV ...................................................................................................................... 25 12. SECURITY, POLICE & LEGALITIES ............................................................................................................... 26
Living & working in Leuven
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LEUVEN POLICE HEADQUARTERS ......................................................................................................................... 26 BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS ........................................................................................................................ 26 13. DAY-TO-DAY LIFE ................................................................................................................................ 27 SHOPPING ..................................................................................................................................................... 27 LAUNDRETTES AND DRY CLEANING ....................................................................................................................... 28 DINING ......................................................................................................................................................... 29 ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................................................... 29 SPORTS ......................................................................................................................................................... 30 CULTURE ....................................................................................................................................................... 31 LIBRARIES ...................................................................................................................................................... 33 RELIGION ...................................................................................................................................................... 34 14. HR CONTACT INFORMATION .............................................................................................................. 36 HR DESK....................................................................................................................................................... 36 RELOCATION .................................................................................................................................................. 36
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Dear colleague, Id like to welcome you to Belgium, to Leuven and foremost to imec! I am delighted you are joining us. Joining imec means working in a new environment, and living in a whole new country with its typical habits, lifestyle, and arrangements. Moving to a new country is indeed quite adventurous, and it provokes a lot of questions and requires many preparations. That is why imec wants to support you and your family as much as possible during this transition. This brochure is prepared as an introductory guide: it offers information concerning Belgium and Leuven, and the daily life over here. It also provides imec specific information. I hope it will help you to better understand the Belgian way of doing things, so that your stay with us will become an interesting and lasting experience. We tried to be as comprehensive as possible on a large number of topics, but we are fully aware that a brochure cannot address all possible items or issues that you will face. Please know that you can call on any of us at the imec Human Resources Department to assist you in finding your way at imec or in Leuven. Or send us an e-mail if that is more convenient. I look forward to having you come on board, and wish you an exciting and successful stay with us.
Sincerely,
Hubert De Neve Executive Vice President Human Resources
Contact details Human resources Department Tel. +32 (16) 28 77 99 e-mail: hrdesk@imec.be
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1. INTRODUCTION Belgium
Synopsis Belgium is a small, densely populated country (10,39 million inhabitants with 339 people/km), with three official languages: Dutch, French and German. Its capital, Brussels, doubles as the capital of the European Union. It is fashionable among Belgians and nonBelgians alike to complain about the level of bureaucracy in the country and the inordinate number of holidays that Belgians enjoy. In fact, economic productivity is among the highest in the world, and the anarchic streak in the Belgian character ensures that bureaucrats never gain the upper hand. Belgium is also a very safe country and Leuven, we can assure you from a lifetime of personal experience, is without a doubt a quite safe university town.
federal government mainly has authority over foreign affairs, immigration issues, social security and defense. Belgium has 10 provinces; Leuven is the capital of the Province of Flemish Brabant. Leuven is situated in Flanders and is part of the Dutch-speaking community. Brussels and the language border with Wallonia are very close. Although seven governments might seem a touch exaggerated for such a small country, and the situation is often derided by Belgians and non-Belgians alike, this system is a typical embodiment of one of the most attractive features of the Belgian character: the art of compromise. When Belgians disagree, they try and find the middle ground. No civil wars or ethnic conflicts have ever taken place between Belgians.
The Belgian Character The one thing that most non-Belgians would agree on when first confronted with Belgians on their home turf is that they are reserved and introvert. This impression usually lasts until their first visit to a Belgians home, where they will be very cordially welcomed and fed large amounts of excellent food and drink. A Belgian feels most relaxed and comfortable in the midst of his close circle of family and friends. Family ties are very important witness the weekly exodus of Belgian students from Leuven, who routinely spend every weekend at home with their parents and childhood friends. Friendships are enduring; once you have made a Belgian friend, you will find that it is very hard to get rid of him. Most Belgians own their own homes and spend a lot of time and money in constantly renovating, decorating and improving them. They tend their gardens meticulously, love good food and drink, benefit from an excellent social security and health-care system, and insist on having their roads and highways brightly lit at night.
Politics and Languages Despite its small size, Belgium has a unique and complex institutional and political structure. Belgium itself is a democratic monarchy with a King, a parliament (house of Commons) and a senate (House of Lords). The country is divided into three language groups, Dutch-speaking (6 million), Frenchspeaking (4 million) and German-speaking (70,000), each with their own administration, mainly in charge of cultural and educational affairs. In addition, there are three regions, linked to economic interests, again with their own governments: Flanders (in the north), Wallonia (in the south), and Brussels. The
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Leuven
The city of Leuven is an agglomeration of five communities: Leuven, Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, Wilsele and Wijgmaal. Leuven has more than 90,000 inhabitants. If we add to this the 35,000 post-secondary and 11,000 high-school students, it should come as no surprise that the streets are filled with young faces and that the city lives at a students rhythm: hectic weeks at the beginning of the academic year and, later, relative calm periods during holiday and examination time. The centuries-long presence of the university has also left its marks in other areas of city life. The population of Leuven has a high average level of education, probably because many students remain in Leuven after they have graduated.
Read more on www.leuven.com and www.kuleuven.be
Imec
Imec is Europes largest independent research center in nano-electronics and nanotechnology. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Taiwan, US, China and Japan. Its staff of more than 1,750 people include over 550 industrial residents and guest researchers.
Imec's More Moore research targets semiconductor scaling for the 22nm technology node and beyond. With its More than Moore research, imec invents technology for nomadic embedded systems, wireless autonomous transducer solutions, biomedical electronics, photovoltaics, organic electronics and GaN power electronics. Imec's research bridges the gap between the fundamental research at universities and R&D in the industry. It has unique processing and system know-how, intellectual property portfolio, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and a strong and worldwide network position. This makes imec a key partner for shaping the technology of the future.
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2. ARRIVAL IN BELGIUM A. Prior to arrival Relocation

Imec does not work with an external Relocation Company to organize your relocation. But the imec relocation officers are at your disposal during your preparation as well as upon your arrival in Belgium. They will help you with relocation matters from the start until your first days in Belgium, such as the search for temporary or permanent housing. Once we get a clear view on the expected arrival date, you can start thinking about booking the flight. Depending on what goods you are planning to move over, additional arrangements will have to be made concerning international moving companies, customs (importing goods), etc. Working with a Belgian moving company can have certain benefits at the border. The following Belgian moving companies have European and overseas partners and serve a door to door service: ZIEGLER RELOCATION Tom Goovaerts- Moving Consultant Dieudonn Lefvre street, 160 1020 Brussels tel : +32 2 422 22 84 e-mail : tom_goovaerts@zieglergroup.com www.zieglerrelocation.com TRANSWORLD INTERNATIONAL Clement Vanophemstraat 78 3090 Overijse Belgium Tel : +32 2 687 50 90 e-mail : info@transworld.be www.transworld.be ROMULUS Arthur De Coninckstraat 9 3070 Kortenberg Belgium tel : +32 2257 59 49 romulus@romulus.be www.romulus.be GOSSELIN MOVING NV Belcrownlaan 23 2100 Deurne Living & working in Leuven
Belgium Tel : 0032 3 360 55 00 www.moving.gosselingroup.be TEAM ALLIED Budasteenweg 2B 1830 Machelen Belgium Tel : +32 2 253 25 50 www.teamalliedgroup.com
Documents
Travel documents Before coming to Belgium the imec relocation officers will inform you about the right procedure to follow. Which documents you need will depend on your status: e.g. whether you are a payroll employee or a resident, or whether you are coming from an EU country or not.
Documents for non EU assignees A work permit is required for non EU assignees.
Documents for non EU payroll employees Because imec has a recognized status as a specialized research institute it is exempted from the work permit application. Instead, the relocation officers will provide you with a document called Host Agreement. If you are coming from a visa submitted country you can use this Host Agreement to apply for your D-visa.
B. Upon arrival
Residence permit As a future employee in Belgium you are required to register at the Foreigners Office in your city of residence. For Leuven this is called Town Services (Stadsdiensten) and the office is situated next to the railway station. The procedure and the documents to be submitted depend on whether you are an EU citizen or not. Issuing time can be 6 weeks.
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City of Leuven: Town Services Foreigners office Stadsdiensten Dienst Bevolking afdeling Buitenlanders Ask for your ticket at the counter, at the latest one hour before closing time. Professor Van Overstraetenplein 1, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 27 20 00 Fax 016 27 29 95 Open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday from 12:00 noon to 8:00 p.m.
Visit from the police officer After you register at the Leuven Foreigners Office, your neighborhood police officer will drop by your Leuven address to verify that you actually live there. If you are not at home at the time of the officers visit, you will receive a letter inviting you to report to the police station in your district. Make sure you do this as soon as possible in order to avoid misunderstandings or future administrative problems. Change of address Every time you change your address within Leuven, you must report your new address within eight days to the Foreigners Office. If you are moving to another town or city in Belgium, you must report to the Foreigners Office or town hall of your new city or town. You are likewise required to inform the health-insurance, and other relevant offices of your change of address. Leaving Belgium If you temporarily have to leave Belgium for a period longer than three months, you must contact the Foreigners Office to find out what administrative procedures you must follow. Before leaving Belgium permanently, please make sure that you visit the Foreigners Office to turn in your Belgian identity card. If you ever need to come back to Leuven, this will save you and the citys officials a great deal of time and trouble.
Identity card The card you receive after registering at the town services is your official residence permit. It also functions as your identity card in Belgium. This is an extremely important document and you are required to carry it with you at all times. Extend the validity of your identity card You should report in person to the Leuven Foreigners Office, preferably before the expiry date of your identity card. Bring a proof of extension of work permit/contract. Loss of your identity card If you lose your identity card, you must report this in person at the Foreigners Office and sign an official declaration of loss. Bring along three passport photographs as well. After an investigation by the police, you will be given a duplicate identity card.
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3. ACCOMMODATION Searching housing

We advise you to start looking for housing facilities as soon as possible, because finding appropriate accommodation takes time. Usefull websites (all available in English): Immoweb www.immoweb.be VlanImmo www.vlan.be/immo Vitrine www.vitrine.be Logic-Immo www.logic-immo.be
and parts of the rented building and the rental price. The contract is definitive when both you and the landlord sign it. Your landlord is obliged to register the written rental contract. He must present it to the registration office in the place where the property is situated. This will give the rental contract a fixed date and will make it binding on third parties. From this fixed date, you are legally protected against eviction by the new owner if the leased premises are sold.
Cost (indicative prices)

Hotel Small studio around 100 per night (breakfast included) between 300 and 500 per month (furnished but without hotel facilities like sheets, cleaning, etc.) between 600 and 1500 per month depending on comfort and number of bedrooms (most likely for renting at least on an annual basis). between 1000 and 1500 per month (separate bedroom and hotel facilities) at least 1000 per month (most likely for renting at least on an annual basis).
Apartment
There are different types of rental contracts depending on the duration of lease. Ask your landlord detailed information on the duration of the lease (1, 3 or 9 year contract), the penalty when leaving before end of contract, deposit, expenses, etc. before signing the contract. Contact the imec relocation officers if you need assistance with the legal aspects.
Deposit
When you conclude a contract, the payment of a deposit is required. For rooms, a deposit of one months rent is common. For studios and apartments, deposits may amount to 2 or 3 months rent. This sum should never be considered as payment for rent and can only be used to compensate for damage to the rented property, caused by the tenant or by third parties to whom the tenant has granted access. The deposit or its balance will be reimbursed upon return of the keys and after the landlord has inspected the state of the property. The landlord should have the opportunity to draw the final bill for heating, electricity, etc. before he can return the balance of the deposit.
Aparthotel
House
Rental contract
A rental contract between you and the landlord must be concluded in writing. There must be at least three copies: one for the landlord, one for you (the tenant) and one for the compulsory registration of contract. In this written contract the following information must be included: the identity of the landlord and the tenant, the starting date of the contract, an indication of all the rooms Living & working in Leuven
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Supplementary expenses (utilities)

If the cost of heating, electricity, water, etc. is not included in the rent, it should be clearly stated in the contract how these costs will be calculated. If each housing unit is equipped with an individual electricity and gas meter, the tenant and the landlord should make a note of the meter reading at the beginning and at the end of the rental period. The tenant pays for these units at the rate stipulated in the contract. If no individual meters are available, the landlord is allowed to divide the total costs proportionally among the residents of the house. Many contracts state that the tenants have to pay a monthly advance for the costs, over and above the cost of the rent. When the final bill is submitted, tenants are entitled to see the individual invoices for the various utilities. Tenants of apartments and houses usually have an individual contract with the gas, electricity and water utility companies. In this case they will receive the invoices directly from the company concerned.
What to do in case of problems?

In case you need advise about your rental contract or you have problems with your landlord you can always contact our relocation officers. Imec is member of the tenants association specialized in legal issues. Our relocation officers will be happy to give you our registration number so that you can contact this organization for information: Huurdersbond Vlaams Brabant En Meilaan 10 3010 Kessel-Lo Tel : 016/25 05 14 Email : huurdersbond.vl-br@scarlet.be www.wetswinkel-leuven.be
Fire insurance
Fire insurance is not a legal requirement. However, if you are renting it usually forms a condition of the lease. Therefore tenants must insure their premises against damages caused during occupancy. The tenant is responsible for damage caused by fire, water and for broken glass in windows or doors. Standard lease contracts state that the tenant must deliver a proof of insurance to the owner within 30 days of signing the lease. If you want to insure damage to your personal belongings (furniture etc.), you need to take out separate insurance coverage. This is an extra option next to your fire insurance.
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Medical bills and reimbursement 4. HEALTH CARE General practitioners & specialists
You are free to choose your care provider. Under the Belgian national health care system, you can make an appointment directly with a specialist without requiring a referral from your family doctor, but your GP is often the best person to advise you on choosing a specialist. A GP can solve most medical problems. If the GP decides that you should consult a specialist, he/she will refer you to one who is best qualified to deal with your problem. There are many advantages to consulting a GP first, before seeing a specialist: GPs are easier to reach; there could be a long waiting list to consult a specialist. A GP will keep your medical history on file. This is important since information from previous medical examinations may be relevant to your present condition. With certain medical conditions, it is not always clear which specialist is best qualified. On your own, you might have to try several specialists before finding the right one, whereas a GP can quickly diagnose your problem and refer you to the proper specialist. Most medical doctors speak English, French and Dutch. You can usually reach a GP during office hours and in emergencies even at night. If your regular GP is unavailable when you call, you will be referred to another GP. Its normal practice in Belgium to pay your doctor directly. Youll be given a receipt, which is also the form you need to complete to claim reimbursement. You will pay the full cost for a consultation but you will be reimbursed afterwards (see also chapter 5 Insurances).
Pharmacies
In Belgium, drugs and medicines are only sold in pharmacies (to be recognized by the green cross). In the yellow pages of the phone directory pharmacies and drugstores are listed under the word apotheken. Or check the online directory http://goldenpages.truvo.be. They are open every day except Saturday afternoons, Sundays and holidays. When closed, all pharmacies will post in their window a list of after-hours pharmacies (wachtdienst). This information is also published in the weekly newspaper PassePartout (see the section entitled Apothekers van dienst in Leuven en omliggende). Or call 0900 10 500 for the pharmacy on duty in your neighborhood.
Dental care
You are normally free to choose any dentist, but you should check the conditions of your health insurance to see if they restrict reimbursement to dentists who are approved by the insurer or national health system. It is advised to go to the dentist once a year; else your reimbursement will be less. This does not apply to doctors visits. Living & working in Leuven Page 10
Hospitals
University Hospitals www.uzleuven.be 016 33 22 11 for all University Hospitals Gasthuisberg Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven (Emergency) Sint-Pieter Brusselsestraat 69, B-3000 Leuven Sint-Rafal Kapucijnenvoer 33, B-3000 Leuven Pellenberg Weligerveld 1, B-3041 Pellenberg Non-university hospital Heilig-Hartziekenhuis www.hhleuven.be 016 20 92 09 Naamsestraat 150, B-3000 Leuven (Emergency)
SOS Emergency services and numbers

In cases of emergency, always give your address and telephone number. Speak slowly. It would be useful for you to learn a few words or expressions related to such cases in Dutch or French.
100 101 112 105 070 25 70 25 070 25 40 40 0900 10 500
Ambulance and fire department
Police emergency number
International emergency number
Red Cross Flanders ambulance service
Doctors on call
Dentist on call
Thermometers
In Belgium we use Celsius thermometers. These are larger than the Fahrenheit ones, and are usually placed in the armpit. Readings from the armpit will be one degree lower than those taken orally. Always tell the doctor which method you have used.
Pharmacies on duty (after hours and on weekends) Poison antidote centre
070 24 52 45 070 34 43 44 02 649 95 55
Card stop for bank and credit cards
Suicide prevention centre
Vaccinations
Parents are required to vaccinate their babies and young children at regular intervals. In Belgium, this service is organized by Kind en Gezin. Please contact them if you have children below 3 years of age. http://www.kindengezin.be/English_pages/
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5. SOCIAL SECURITY & INSURANCES Social security

Belgium offers high-quality health care that is among the best in Europe. Foreigners are also entitled to certain allowances and to social services. The benefits which you may enjoy as a foreigner are strictly dependent on the conditions under which you are resident on Belgian soil. The Belgian social security system is based on the payment of social contributions on your income from work. These social contributions serve to finance the social security system. Each month the employer pays between 30 and 40% on top of your salary into the social security fund. The employee also pays a proportion of his gross salary in social security contributions (13.07%). This fund is then used to pay social security: Allowances in the event of sickness Unemployment benefits Allowances in the event of incapacity for work through sickness or invalidity Allowances in the event of accidents at work Allowances in the event of industrial disease Family allowances Pensions Is the social security refundable? In Belgium our social security includes a very good health and disability and unemployment coverage, based on the principle of solidarity: everybody contributes. So the social security is not refundable, because you can benefit our social security once you are ill, hospitalized, etc. Information for imec residents As your home office continues to be your employer and as such continues to pay your salary, they have to check if social security contributions are due in Belgium. In accordance to international law, social security contributions are due in the host country (country where the work is done) even when your company does not have a legal entity over here. European countries
and countries with bilateral social security treaties (i.e. USA, Canada, Turkey ) can continue to submit their employees to social security in the home country during a certain period of time, provided they can confirm this with a document that proves the employee to be submitted in the home country (E101 form in the EC). Non-EC and countries with no bilateral treaties should submit their employees to local Belgian social security. Not being submitted to Belgian social security also means that no legal rights can be built up in Belgium (child allowance, unemployment insurance, legal pension, health care). That is why it is imperative that the home company always takes care of sufficient insurance coverage for its employees. We strongly advise the home company to contact an international insurance provider to cover for the health care, hospitalization, travel accident insurance, repatriation and disability. Since imec is not the employer, we are not allowed to do anything in this field. There is a possibility also to affiliate with a mutual insurance company in Belgium. For a fee of approximately 75 a month, the employee will be covered for basic medical, dental and hospitalization treatment.
Insurances
Health insurance All residents of Belgium, Belgian or other nationalities, are required by law to be covered by health insurance. It is also in your own best interest. Without insurance coverage, the cost of medical care can quickly spiral out of control. For instance, a single nights stay in the hospital can cost up to 300 not including treatment or medicine. A standard health-insurance policy will reimburse about 75% of the cost of a doctors visit, medicine and hospitalization. Some (critical) medical expenses are fully refunded. The basic health insurance will not cover all hospital costs; as an imec employee you profit from the companys hospitalization insurance (see further).
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Mutualities For regular medical expenses such as doctor visits, you need to enroll at a mutuality on a personal account (this is obligatory in Belgium). A mutuality actually pays the biggest amount of your doctors bill and medicines prescribed by your doctor. Your own contribution is approximately 60 euro per year. There are different mutualities from which you can choose: Socialistic Mutuality, Liberal Mutuality, Christian Mutuality, Neutral Mutuality and Independent Mutuality. They all provide the same basic service, but there can be a small difference in price and in the extra services that they provide. Euromut, an Independent Mutuality, comes by regularly at imec and can help you with your enrollment. More info: http://www.euromut.be. SIS Card When you take out health insurance you will receive a membership card (known as the SIS card), an information booklet and a number of stickers. Please take your SIS card and stickers every time you go to the pharmacist, visit a doctor, go to a hospital or to the healthinsurance office. You may be asked to show your SIS card or use one of the stickers. If you have to go to the hospital and you dont have your SIS card you will get an invoice of the total cost. Dont pay it but bring it to the health insurance company. They will take care of a corrected invoice. Coverage outside Belgium Whether or not you have coverage abroad (i.e. outside Belgium) depends on a number of criteria. Just to be sure, you should contact your own health insurance company to get advice. Coverage for family When coming to Leuven for a visit, your parents, partner, siblings or friends are not covered by your health insurance policy. We would advise your guests to take out a temporary private insurance to cover their period of stay in Belgium. EEA Nationals If you are a EEA national (Austria, Denmark,
Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania) or a nationals from Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, and the former Yugoslavia, you should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) proving you already have insurance coverage in your home country. Any medical costs you may incur will be reimbursed by a Belgian health-insurance company if you show them the EHIC. This also applies to the cost of drugs and medication: ask for a 704N form at the pharmacists. Care insurance (Zorgkas) In 2002 the Flemish government introduced the care insurance. It is a collective insurance to provide financial assistance to seriously ill patients. Every year, you will receive a bill of 25 for this insurance when you live in Flanders and are at least 25 years old. You are obliged to pay this bill before December 31st.
Work-related accidents For payroll employees Imec automatically covers you for accidents on the way to and from your company and for accidents on the workplace itself. All other accidents must be covered by your private insurance. For industrial residents This is different for industrial residents at imec. Their company is responsible for the insurance of accidents which are workrelated. For more information, you can always contact the imec legal department.
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Third party liability insurance This policy protects the head of the household and all people for whom he is responsible, from third party damage claims. This policy covers any damages to third parties caused by you or one of your family members. Personal injury is not covered by this policy, only damage to third parties. The insurance also covers the costs of legal assistance. This insurance is not obliged, but strongly recommended, especially if you have children. Car insurance Each car owner is obliged to have civil liability car cover whereby the insurance company of the car deemed responsible for the accident, pays for the repairs, injuries, or death caused to the other party. Premiums are based on cars horsepower and the accident record of the insured. Based on a bonus point system, annual rates jump rapidly, with point increases following accidents where the insured is at fault, whilst descending only a single point for each year of unclaimed accidents, until the lowest level is achieved. You can choose the range of your car insurance coverage. See also chapter 6 for information on imec specific insurances.
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6. MONEY MATTERS Payment

The Belgian currency is the Euro since the 1st of January 2002. The Euro is the currency of the following sixteen countries of the European Union: Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Cyprus, Slovakia, Malta and Slovenia. Euro notes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 note. Euro coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cent pieces and the 1 and 2 euro pieces. Opening a bank account Belgium has a very efficient and modern banking system. Branches of the principal Belgian and international banks can be found in all larger Belgian cities. Among the best known banks in Belgium are the following: ING, KBC, Dexia, Argenta, BNP Paribas and Citibank. Belgian bank accounts can be current accounts (zichtrekening), savings accounts (spaarrekening) or term accounts. The first are customarily used for current transactions, payments or transfers; the second are selfexplanatory; and the third are interest-bearing accounts fixed for a given period of time, and for which the rate of interest varies according to the ups and downs of the investments of the bank. After opening a bank account, customers receive a debit card, which needs to be signed and activated by choosing and confirming a personal PIN code. These services are attached to your bank account: Cash withdrawals, either at one of the branches of the bank or at any ATM machine. Debit card payments for items bought in shops or commercial centers. Forms to transfer money directly from the bank account to another bank account. This is very useful for paying rent and utility bills such as water, electricity, internet and telephone. To be able to make use of this service customers need to go in person to a branch of their bank. Transfers from any self-banking machine of any branch of the bank. Standing orders with the bank for making regularly recurring payments such as rent, gas, electricity, water or telephone. This is highly recommended since the payments are made even if customers forget or are away for a period of time. Most banks provide possibilities via internet. Home-Banking
There is a possibility to open your bank account before your arrival in Belgium. Most banks also have a special service for expats, e.g.: ING: www.ing.be/expat KBC: www.kbc.be/expats Payments and account statements Payment by bank transfer is a very common method of paying bills in Belgium. The companies will normally indicate on their bills how they prefer to be paid. Payments by credit card such as Visa, Mastercard/Eurocard, American Express, etc. are also common practice. For a small fee to cover postage, Belgian banks will mail daily, weekly or monthly transactions statements for a current account. The easiest way of obtaining account statements is to print them out at a selfbanking terminal.
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Taxes
Belgian residents The Belgian tax year for personal income tax begins on 1 January and ends on 31 December. If you are liable to Belgian taxation, you will receive a tax return (declaration/aangifte) during May relating to the previous years income. This form must be completed and returned by mid July (you will find the exact date on the tax return from). If you dont receive a return, request one at the Ministry of Finance before 1 June or you will risk a penalty! The taxpayer reports the amount of his taxable income, deducting personal and other allowances. In Belgium, married couples, and couples having made a legal declaration of cohabitation, make a joint income declaration.
The Recruitment & Selection Team and the HR Services at imec will give you information and assist you during application and actions during the year. Industrial residents The situation is different for industrial assignees coming from outside Belgium. As imec is not their employer, we cannot give any information on this subject. We therefore advise you to contact a special tax advisor like PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, KPMG, etc.
Foreigners in Belgium Payroll employees Foreigners taking up residence in Belgium are liable, in principle, to taxation on their worldwide income. This includes: Income from real estate property. Income from personal property, such as dividends, interest on loans and bonds, and income from capital invested in partnerships. Some of the imec foreign payroll employees are eligible to the status of non-resident in Belgium, which implies a special tax regime. This special status is granted by the Fiscal Authorities and allows a lower tax assessment. There are however very strict conditions for this non-resident status.
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7. DAY CARE & BABY SITTING Day care services

There are a number of day-care centers in the Leuven area. Bear in mind that most day-care centers have long waiting lists, in some cases longer than one year, so you are strongly advised to apply for a place as soon as possible, from the moment you know that you are pregnant. There are several channels through which organized day-care can be found: Kind en Gezin They will send you a list of officially recognized and approved childcare services in your region. They also run consultancy services for infants in each commune once or twice a week. Babies and toddlers can be examined here by Kind en Gezin nurses and doctors and they can get vaccinated without any cost. These nurses will also provide information on childminding services in your area. Hallepoortlaan 27 B-1060 Brussel Tel: 02 542 12 11 www.kindengezin.be Imec & KUL Day-Care As an imec payroll employee you can apply for a place at the Day Care Center De Villa. For more information, see chapter 6 (work life benefits). The KULeuven day-care centers listed below welcome children between six weeks and three years of age. The cost depends on your income and includes meals and regular costs. Nappies and bottle formula are not included. The day-care centers provide your child with the daily care and education that he/she requires. Children are placed in small groups. The same person remains in charge of the same children throughout their stay there. Babyhome Tervuursevest 105, B-3001 Heverlee Tel. 016 32 92 92 Open: from 7:45 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Peutertuin De Croylaan 8, B-3001 Heverlee Tel. 016 32 24 51 Living & working in Leuven
Open: from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. De Villa @ imec Steengroevenlaan 1, B-3001 Heverlee Tel. 016 23 32 58 Open: from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Kabouterberg Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 33 08 60 Open: from 6:15 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. t Grootpark Groot Park 17, B-3360 Lovenjoel Tel. 016 46 31 12 Open: from 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Day-Care for Sick Children Kabouterberg Herestraat 49, B-3001 Heverlee Mrs. Christine Broossens Tel. 016 33 08 60 City of Leuven Day-Care Kindercentrum Craenendonck can help you in your search for a day-care centre: they can provide an address list of day-care centres, private individuals who care for children, and facilities for after-school care. Kindercentrum Craenendonck provides the following services, all at this address: Kindercentrum Craenendonck, Lei 10, B-3000 Leuven craenendonck@leuven.be - www.leuven.be Regular day-care centre The day-care centre receives children from 6 weeks to 3 years of age. They are placed in small groups according to age. The cost depends on the parents income. Kinderdagverblijf Craenendonck Tel. 016 27 19 10 Open: Weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Day-care in a host family for children under 12 This service helps you to find a place for your child with a host mother or host father. The cost depends on your income. Stedelijke Dienst Opvanggezinnen Tel. 016 27 19 11 Open: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and also on Thursdays from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
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Limited day-care centre t Margrietje t Margrietje offers a flexible solution for children up to 3 years. Children can come for a maximum of 20 hours a week. Tel. 016 20 04 79 Open: Weekdays and Saturday (also during holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Hotline for Sick and Disabled Children If your child is sick and you are unable to stay at home to look after him/her, a caretaker will come to your home to take care of your child. Maximum 10 hours a day between 7:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tel. 016 20 04 95 or 0475 65 16 72 Open: Weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. (except Fridays). Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
have to be a member of the Gezinsbond to be able to use this service. When your child is born in Leuven, you automatically receive a free membership of the Gezinsbond for one year. For information and referral Baplu Lydia, Mob. 0497 60 35 10 services:
Babysitting services
Student Employment Office The Student Employment Office of the KULeuven can help you find a babysitterstudent to take care of your children. Applications should be made a few days in advance. Student Employment Office Naamsestraat 80, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 32 44 34, jobdienst@dsv.kuleuven.be Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. tot 5:00 p.m Babysitting Services of the Gezinsbond Parents interested in making use of this service may consult the Gezinsbonds register which provides the names of the babysitters, as well as the number of hours that they are willing to work. The babysitters have been screened beforehand and are insured. The prices are fixed per hour. In addition, you pay a small annual fee to the Gezinsbond. You
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8. EDUCATION School system

Schools in Belgium provide education from nursery school to secondary school at little or no cost, and their academic standards are consistently high. International pupils are welcome in the public school system. They can study either in Dutch or in French, depending on the language of the town or district in which the school is located. All kindergardens, primary and secondary schools have a five-day school week (Monday to Friday) and Wednesday afternoon off. The choice of schools includes : Schools run by the government, provinces and communes Catholic Education Alternative Education (Steiner, Freinet, Montessori) Private schools When choosing between different schools, there are many factors to bear in mind. Consider for instance the distance between your home and school. Your local doctor, friends or colleagues can be most informative about the reputation of schools in the area. There are three international schools in the Brussels area : these are private schools. The International School of Brussels (ISB) Kattenberg 19 1170 Brussels Tel : +32 2 661 4212 www.isb.be The British School Leuvensesteenweg 19 3080 Tervuren Tel : +32 2 767 3098 The European School of Brussels (Woluwe) Avenue Oscar Jespers 75 1200 Brussels Tel : +32 2 774 22 11
School fees Except in private schools no fees are paid for kindergarten, primary or secondary education, which is subsided by the government. However, you will receive a monthly bill for various incidental expenses such as trips, swimming, school magazine, drinks, meals and day-care after school hours. Bear in mind that private schools have fees. Subscription Parents are encouraged to examine and visit several schools in their area first to see whether one might be right for their children. As the waiting lists are long, they are advised to apply for a place as soon as they have made their choice. A full list of schools in Leuven can be found on: www.leuven.be Click on onderwijs (= education), then click on overzicht scholen (= list of schools). In Leuven there is a school that provides special Dutch lessons for children who do not speak Dutch yet: Sint-Albertus College Geldenaarksebaan 177 3000 Leuven Tel. 016/40 50 60
School calendar Kindergarten: September 1 to June 30 Primary school: September 1 to June 30 Secondary school: September 1 to June 30 School Holidays: One week in early November Two weeks at Christmas One week in February or early March Two weeks at Easter Two months in the summer: July and August Higher Education: September to July (varies)
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Playground activities during school holidays Imec In July and August, imec offers to all its coworkers summer day-care for children between 2.5 and 12 years old. More information is available at the Intranet. KULeuven University Sports Centre organizes sports activities during two weeks in July and August at the price of 60,00 per week. Universitair Sportcentrum Tervuursevest 101, B-3001 Heverlee Tel.: 016 32 91 30 016 32 91 31 Fax: 016 32 91 95 sport@kuleuven.be www.kuleuven.be/sport/sportkampen.htm City of Leuven playground activities During school holidays, children can go to a playground to play with children of their own age from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Leuven, Heverlee, Kessel-Lo and Wilsele. They can play in groups oriented around a specific theme, or they can choose what they want to do. The Grabbelpas- activities (only in Leuven from 7:30 a.m. till 6:00 p.m.) offer workshops such as handcraft, sport, culture, daytrips, during school holidays. The fee is depending on the kind of activity. Leuven: 4-15 years (Easter and summer) Heverlee: 3-15 years (Easter and summer) Kessel-Lo: 3-15 years (only summer) Wilsele: 3-12 years (only summer till aug.15) You have to pay a onetime fee of 5.00 for a Youth Centre Pass. You need to sign up for all these activities at Jeugdcentrum Vleugel F, Brusselsestraat 61a, B-3000 Leuven
More information (addresses, prices, programme, etc.) on the website www.leuven.be/jeugd or tel. 016 24 66 90.
Further education
(Non) university education Belgium has an extensive network of university and non-university education. You can study in the Flemish, French and German speaking part of Belgium. Information about the different programmes, cost, admission requirements, is available on: www.diplomatie.be www.highereducation.be Language education Instituut voor Levende Talen (ILT ) The Institute of Modern Languages organizes Dutch courses throughout the academic year, both for beginners and for advanced students. These courses can be followed either intensively (12 h/week) or regularly way (6 h/week). Intensive courses are held in the morning, while regular courses can be followed in the afternoon or in the evening. ILT - Dekenstraat 6, B-3000 Leuven Tel: 016 32 56 60 Fax: 016 32 56 56 info@ilt.kuleuven.be ilt.kuleuven.be CLT Language Centre Centrum voor Levende Talen The CLT Language Centre runs language courses mainly in the evening. You can study Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Modern Greek, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish. CLT - Dekenstraat 4, B-3000 Leuven Tel: 016 32 56 61 Fax: 016 32 56 95 secr@clt.kuleuven.be www.clt.be ACE Groep T ACE-Group T organizes language courses that focus on oral communication. You can follow courses on Italian, English, French, Dutch for foreigners, Chinese, Thai, Spanish and German. ACE Groep T - Vesaliussttraat 13, B-3000 Leuven Tel: 016 30 11 16 Fax: 016 30 10 40 www.groept.be Imec Contact HR Learning & Development for information about the language courses (English & Dutch) organized by imec. HRTraining@imec.be
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9. TRANSPORT Getting there

The national airport of Belgium is located at Zaventem, Brussel. More information available on www.brusselsairport.be/en/ Imec is about 20 km from the airport. You can take a taxi (around 50 fare) or public transport to reach imec. By train, there is a direct connection every 20 minutes from Brussels Airport to Leuven.
In order to obtain a Belgian driving license, you need to submit the following: your national valid driving license driving license has to valid before your arrival in Belgium residence permit official translation of your driving license, done by a sworn translator in Belgium. Translation should be in Dutch or French. You can ask a list of legally certified translators at the local council office. After you have submitted these documents to the town hall, they will send your file to the police and this can take up to 3 weeks. During these 3 weeks you are not allowed to drive a car. The police will send an approval to the town hall and then they will invite you to come and collect the driving license. Importing cars Experience has learned that importing a car is not advisable. Importing a car can be very expensive because the car is not conform to Belgian standards and also a lot of customs administration is involved. Buying a car When buying a new car, the car dealer will take care of the paperwork. At this point, you need your residence permit. You will be given a registration form to complete, and you will need to insure the car. Once all formalities are completed, registration documents will be sent to you, as well as the back license plate. You will also need to pay a mise en circulation/belasting op de inverkeerstelling tax as well as annual road tax. If your car is equipped with a MPG engine, motor diesel engine, you will have to pay an additional tax. When buying a second hand car, the car must be delivered with a contrle technique/ technische controle certificate. Just as when buying a new car, you will need to complete the registration form and insure the car before receiving the license plate.
Getting around
Cars Driving license EU Citizens: can drive with a European driving license in Belgium. In case you want to switch your own driving license into a Belgian one, you need to get an official translation (preferably in Dutch or French), done by a sworn translator in Belgium. You can ask a list of legally certified translators at the local council office. NON EU Citizens: only tourists can drive with an international driving license, or persons who are in the process of getting a residence permit in Belgium
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Leasing/renting a car Belgium tax legislation makes leasing far more attractive than in many other countries. The added advantage, of course, is that all the repair bills are covered and the paperwork is arranged by the leasing company. In case you want to rent a car for a short or long term, you can contact Hertz or Avis: Avis Head Office Leuven Nieuwstraat 28 3360 Leuven (Korbeek-Lo) Tel : 016 25 00 55 Fax : 016 25 02 08 info@advis-brabant.be www.avis-brabant.be Hertz Belgium Kolonel Bourgstraat 120 1140 Brussels Tel : 02 717 32 01 Fax : 02 717 32 02 www.hertz.be When showing your imec badge, you can get a discount at the company below: Autocenter Hein N.V. Steenweg op Wezemaal 149 3110 Rotselaar Tel : 016 58 06 57 Fax : 016 58 34 78 autocenter.hein@skynet.be Parking If you park on the street in Leuven, beware of the blue zones (parking allowed for two hours max, parking disc is obliged) and/or parking machines (payment in advance). If you are an inhabitant of Leuven, you can request an inhabitants card so you dont have to pay or put your parking disc in your car. There are many parking facilities in Leuven: There are a lot of car parks, where you will have to pay. A better alternative is perhaps the outlying car parks in Heverlee (e.g. Bodart, Engels Plein parking lots), most of which are free. An overview of all parking facilities in the city centre can be found on the Leuven website: www.leuven.be. There is also P+BUS parking. If you park on the edge of the shopping centre, in the
car park of De Bond and on the SintJacobsplein, you can take the bus to the city centre and back free of charge. You park cheaper in these car parks and still you are as quickly in the city centre as otherwise. For further information about the above issues, youre welcome to contact the mobility advisors at duurzaamheid@dsv.kuleuven.be or 016 32 93 01 and 016 32 93 02. Traffic Rules Please note that the police is very strict on checking the traffic rules. High fines and penalties will have to be paid in case you dont respect them. Also be aware that automatic cameras are watching you. You can quickly loose your driving license for speeding etc.
Driving dos and don'ts Drive on the right and overtake on the left. Give priority to vehicles coming from the right. Trams have priority. If a tram or bus stops in the middle of the road to allow passengers off, or on, you must stop. The minimum driving age in Belgium is 18. Front and rear seat belts are obligatory everywhere. Children must be at least 12 years of age before they can sit in the front seat (unless a safety seat is fitted). Belgium has strict drink driving laws, only 0.5 promille is allowed. Speed limits: on the motorway 120km/h (74 mph), on open roads 90km/h (45 mph), in town 50km/h (30mph). Belgian motorways are toll-free.
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Dipped headlights should be used between dusk and dawn; driving on sidelights only is illegal. Using a mobile phone while driving is not allowed; the use of hands free equipment is allowed. Carrying a warning triangle in your car and a fluorescent jacket is obliged. Following documents should always be in your possession when driving a car: driving license, vehicle registration document (V5), certificate of motor insurance, road signs. Taxi You will find taxi companies online on www.goldenpages.truvo.be or call 1207 (national information number) and ask for a taxi company in the neighborhood. Trains Leuven is an important hub in the Belgian railway network. From Leuven station, there are connections to every other major Belgian railway station. You can find the best connection and itinerary using the online search engine: www.b-rail.be (possibility to buy tickets online) Leuven Railway Station Martelarenplein 16, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 21 21 11 International Information & Eurostar, Thalys, HST: 02 528.28.28 Heverlee Railway Station Naamsesteenweg 180, B-3001 Heverlee. Go Pass and Rail Pass With a Go Pass (-26 years old) or Rail Pass (+26 years old), you can make 10 one-way trips in second class. You will get the most benefit if you travel between two stations that are far apart (e.g. Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, ...). Practical Tips On Fridays and weekends, ask for a Weekend Ticket. When you travel alone, you get up to a 40% discount. When travelling with friends, the first passenger gets a 50% discount. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th
passengers get a 70% discount, provided that all members of the group travel together.
Bus De Lijn (Flemish Bus Company) Belgium has an extensive bus network that operates in and between most cities. You can find time schedules on the bus stops along the road. Destinations, route planner, time schedules and more information you will find on the website. Bus lines nr. 2 and 616 will drop you at the imec Campus. De Lijn Martelarenplein 19b, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 070 22 02 00 (general information) Tel. 016 31 37 11 (province of Vlaams-Brabant) Info Pass: Tel. 016 31 37 20 Info Groups: Tel. 016 31 37 17 vlbrab@delijn.be - www.delijn.be Travelling Eurolines through Europe with
Eurolines has direct and inexpensive connections from Leuven to 500 destinations in Europe. www.eurolines.com - info@eurolines.be
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Bicycles Cycling is healthy, cheap and cool. Furthermore, in a city like Leuven it is often the quickest way to get from one place to another.
Global Action Plan Cyclists The Leuven Police has developed a global action plan for cyclists with four priorities: driving without lights when this is obligatory, ignoring a red light (one also has to stop when turning right!), driving in the wrong direction and not giving way. These four priorities were set up on basis of accident statistics of the last years. During the academic year, traffic surveillances will be held which will focus on the movement summary offences by cyclists. The following website contains all the information about the Belgian Highway Code specialized in cycling with lots of pictures of traffic situations in Leuven. www.kuleuven.be/transportation/GuideforCyc lingIn-Belgium.pdf. Bicycle Theft and the Bicycle Office
Bicycle Rental and Repair VELO is a non-profit organization that promotes the bicycle as an ecological means of transport in the city by recycling, renting and repairing bikes. VELO offers a bike rental and repair service and is organized as a training and employment project in the social economy. You can rent a safe, fully equipped and registered second-hand bike with a solid lock at VELO. A rental contract will be drawn up (please bring your passport, student card/badge and bank account number) and you must pay the rental price plus a deposit. You can also come to repair your own bike at the bike repair shop or have your bike repaired for a small price. At VELO you can also report bike theft and have your bike registered (engraving + bike ID). Minderbroederstraat 12 U, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 33 74 30 info@velo.be - www.velo.be Some Bicycle Repair Shops A-Bikes, Gemeentestraat 37, Kessel-Lo Huis Boydens, Diestsestraat 205, Leuven Rijwielen Cadans, Naamsestraat 123, Levuen Rijwielen Hugo Jacobs, Diestsestraat 192, Leuven Fietsen Koen, Martelarenlaan 201, Kessel-Lo Fietsen Niclaes, Naamsesteenweg 76, Heverlee
A good lock to secure your bicycle is very important and always recommended. In Leuven you can get your bicycle engraved with an ID number. This is no guarantee against theft, but it can help retrieving your bike. For free engraving, go to the bicycle office of the local police on Wednesdays from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m. and on Thursdays from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. Fietsendienst (Bycicle Office) Mechelsestraat 162-168, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 21 09 90 - www.leuven.be Open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Bicycle map You can download the map of bicycle routes from the City of Leuven web site. This map provides an overview of all safe bicycle routes www.leuven.be/showpage.asp?iPageID=5892
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10. COMMUNICATION Postal services

Mail is delivered by the postman to your address. The red post boxes are situated in towns, shopping centers and road sides. National mail can be placed in any letterbox in Belgium or posted at a post-office counter and may be open or sealed. For information about prices and sizes, see www.depost.be. Post Office addresses in Leuven Leuven Philips Philipssite, B-3001 Heverlee, tel. 016 50 93 60 Open: Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Tuesdays until 6 p.m. Leuven Centrum Jan Stasstraat 12, B-3000 Leuven, Tel. 016 50 95 60 Fax: 016 50 95 70 Open: Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. except for Thursday : 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Heverlee Ambassade Naamsesteenweg 380, B-3001 Heverlee, Tel. 016 40 60 06 Open: Weekdays from 9:00 a.m.to 12:30 pm. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Postpunten (in case post offices are closed) SuperGB Heverlee - Tervuursevest 113, Leuven AD Delhaize Luna - Tervuursesteenweg 154, Heverlee SPAR Sint-Jacob - Brusselsestraat 124, Leuven
Useful Numbers National Information: 1207 International Information: 1204 Fixed Lines There are two main providers in Belgium (Belgacom and Telenet) and several smaller ones (Tele2, Scarlet, ..) for fixed lines and internet connections. Contact the local telecom shops for more information. Mobile Telephones (Cell phones) Newcomers from most European countries can continue to use their mobile telephones in Belgium if their contract includes a roaming feature, although this will be rather costly in the long term. However, newcomers from the United States are generally unable to use their American cell phones in Europe. Mobile telephones or cell-phones are widely available in specialized shops and large retail outlets. Calling Cards Calling cards have two main advantages over regular lines: since the card is pre-paid there is no bill at the end of the month; and calls can be made from any telephone (public, private, mobile, etc.). Calling cards for international calls are available at newsagents, post offices, supermarkets, train stations and night shops. Always ask which card is the most suitable for the call and the country you want to call.
Cable television and digital TV

Each commune provides exclusive rights to various cable TV operators and each operator chooses the channels it wishes to offer. The cable operator can also provide internet and telephone services. Contact your local telecom shops to establish which operator is authorized to provide services in your commune.
Getting connected
General information Country Code for Belgium: 32 - Area code Leuven: (0)16: international call, skip 0 (0032 16 ); when calling within Belgium, always dial the full area code, 016. Other examples of area codes: Brussels: 02; Antwerp: 03; Ghent: 09; Bruges: 050; Louvain-la- Neuve: 010.
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12. SECURITY, POLICE & LEGALITIES Leuven Police Headquarters

The police department is in charge of maintaining law and order. Police officers are there for your security whenever you need them. Philipssite 4, B-3001 Heverlee Tel. 016 21 07 40 Fax: 016 21 07 39 politie@leuven.be Open: Weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (or by appointment) For emergencies (24 hours a day) please contact: Interventieafdeling Algemene Politiezorg Philipssite 4, B-3001 Heverlee Tel. 016 21 06 10 Fax: 016 21 06 09 The national emergency number is 112. The local district station Leuven Center is at Grote Markt 8 3000 LEUVEN Phone (016) 21 09 00 (switchboard) e-mail: wijkleuven@leuven.be Opening Hours: from 0.00 to 24.00 (for all emergencies) Quarter Section: from 08.00 to 22.00, Sat 08.30 to 12.30
Births, marriages and deaths

Registry Office Burgerlijke Stand Prof. Van Overstraetenplein1, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 27 20 00 Fax 016 27 29 95 www.leuven.be Births You are obliged to inform the Registry Office of the birth of your baby within 15 days after the birth. The hospital will give you the necessary papers and information. Ask the HR Services at imec or at your home company for information on including your child in the insurance policy. Civil Marriages The municipal authorities in Belgium only recognize civil weddings, not church weddings. If you plan to have both a civil and a religious marriage ceremony, the civil ceremony must take place first. You do not need to have both on the same day. All information concerning marriage and the documents required, can be obtained at the Registry Office. Deaths The Registry Office must be informed of all deaths. If death occurs in a hospital, this formality will be normally done by the undertaker, but has to be paid. You can do this yourself, but you then need to inquire at the Registry Office. If death occurs outside a hospital, a doctor must be called first to certify the death and to determine the cause of death. After that, the registry office must be informed. It is advisable to ask for several copies of the death certificate, since they may be needed for insurance, bank matters, embassies, etc
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13. DAY-TO-DAY LIFE Shopping

Most supermarkets and shops are open every day except on Sunday. Some will have a closing weekday. There are a few supermarkets that do open on Sunday, e.g. GB Express (Brusselsestraat 60, Tiensevest 10 and Naamsestraat 48, open until 8 p.m), Super GB Partner (Koning Albertlaan 147, Kessel-Lo), Evins Winkel (Leeuwerikenstraat 23, Heverlee). Bakeries are usually open on Sundays and holidays. Many night shops open after 6 p.m. until late at night. Evening Shopping in the centre of Leuven on Thursdays until 8:00 p.m. Foodshops Aldi Weldadigheidsstraat 58 and J. P. Minckelerstraat 76, Leuven Lidl J.P. Minckelerstraat 116, Leuven Vlinderlaan 2, Kessel-Lo Colruyt Lombaardenstraat 2, Leuven Tiensesteenweg 237, Kessel-Lo Groenveldstraat 71, Heverlee GB Tervuursevest 113 GB Express Brusselsestraat 60 Tiensevest 10 Naamsestraat 48
Eggs, white (container of 6): 1.41 Rice, 500g: 1.80 Pasta, 500g: 0.80 Sausage, 1kg: 7.50 Steak, 1kg: 14 Grilled chicken, per kg: 8 Apples, 1kg: 1.30 Carrots, 1kg: 0.60 Pizza, medium: + 10 Markets Wednesday afternoon from 3:00 p.m.: A. de Becker-Remyplein (Kessel-Lo, food and goods)
Friday-morning: Mgr. Ladeuzeplein (food and goods), Hooverplein (food), Brusselsestraat (flowers). Saturday: Flee market (M. de Layensplein, Mechelsestraat) Food (vegetables, cheese, etc.) on Brusselsestraat Sunday morning until 1:00 p.m.: At Heverlee railway station (Naamsesteenweg, Waversebaan, food and goods)
AD Delhaize Tervuursevest 19 Brusselsestraat 31 Tervuursesteenweg 154 Indicative prices as per Jan 1st, 2009 (please note that vegetable and fruit prices are strongly influenced by supply and weather conditions): Bread white, sliced: 2 Milk, 1 liter, skimmed: 0.66 Living & working in Leuven
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Supplies Blokker Bondgenotenlaan 58 (furniture, household, electronic appliances and school supplies at very affordable prices) Casa Diestsestraat 93/2 (furniture, household, electronic appliances and school supplies at very affordable prices) Hema Parijsstraat 2 (clothes, houseware, gadgets and food) Ikea Weiveldlaan 19(close to E40), Zaventem (Interior) Domo Bondgenotenlaan 169 (interior) Clothes C&A Bondgenotenlaan 64 H&M Bondgenotenlaan 69 Zara Bondgenotenlaan 75-79 Wibra Bondgenotenlaan 74 INNO Diestsestraat 67 Health and beauty products Kruidvat Diestsestraat 55 Bondgenotenlaan 95 Jodenstraat 1 Second hand shops SPIT IJzermolenstraat 10-12 Rawette Parijsstraat 53A (only clothing) Cyaankali Diestsestraat 217 (only clothing)
t Pand Tiensestraat 225 (childrens clothing) International food shops Thai House Supermarket Alfons Smetsplein Asian Market Naamsestraat 28 African food shop Voodoo Tiensestraat 220 La Mditerranne for north-African food Maria-Theresiastraat 52 Fair Trade Shop (products from Africa, Asia and Latin-America) Tiensestraat 273 Naamsesteenweg 133
Laundrettes and dry cleaning

Pressing nr 1 L. Melsensstraat 4 Strea Net Tervuursesteenweg 187 Atomic Brusselsestraat 214 De Lelie Maria Van Belstraat 7 De Gouden Draad Tiensestraat 204 Quick Shop Diestsestraat 224 Tapolino Slachthuislaan 1 Het Leuvens Strijkatelier Frederik Lintstraat 37 Wassalons het Poederke A. Vesaliusstraat 16 De Washoek Tervuursevest 12 For prices, how to use a washing machine, see brochure Housekeeping tips, www.kuleuven.be/socialservices/pdf/housekeepingti ps.pdf Page 28
Dining
Leuven has a lot of restaurants, cafes and pubs. Situated mostly in the centre, around the Great Market. You will find a list with restaurants on the website of Leuven. www.leuven.be or on www.resto.be
Environment
The educational and civil authorities are fully committed to sustainable development and the creation of an environmentally friendly city. They encourage citizens and students to reduce their garbage production, to properly sort their garbage, to use energy in a responsible and sustainable way and to adopt sustainable transportation. Waste Prevention, Selection and Reduction In Leuven garbage needs to be sorted. The more garbage you produce, the more brown bags you will need and they cost money. You can reduce your garbage by buying fewer packages, by using glass instead of plastic bottles, etc. The following paragraphs explain the different kinds of waste, and how they are collected. Paper and cardboard Paper and cardboard are collected separately from other garbage. You can include any kind of paper, provided its clean and has no plastic attached to it. All paper needs to be tied up with string or twine and left in front of the house or residence on collection days. Glass Glass should be taken to one of the big glass containers located throughout the city. Light bulbs or flat glass (for instance from a window) are NOT allowed! Always rinse out glass bottles. Colored glass usually goes in a separate container from clear glass. KGA (Small dangerous waste) Most people have quite a lot of waste that is dangerous if it is dumped or burned since it might lead to soil contamination. Batteries can be taken to supermarkets and deposited in the green boxes provided especially for old Living & working in Leuven
batteries. Expired or unused medication can be taken to any pharmacists but please remove the paper from the box. There are also collections of small dangerous waste such as leftover cleaning products, used cooking oil, cosmetics, writing materials, etc, by the Leuven chemobiel. Dates and places will be announced via the website of the city (www.leuven.be) and via the municipal infobrochure Stad Leuven info. Or you can bring it to one of the guarded containerparks (See www.ecowerf.be).
GFT (Kitchen and garden waste - green box) Vegetables, fruit and garden waste belong in the green bag. Coffee filters, teabags and eggshells are also allowed. Please do not put anything else in the green bag! In a number of residences and houses green boxes are used instead of bags. PMD (Plastic, Metal and Drink cartons blue bag) It is important that you know what goes in the blue bag, since it will not be picked up if it contains the wrong things. Always allowed: washed tetra packs, plastic bottles, metal cans, aluminum tins and trays (from lasagna for instance). Never allowed: butter tubs, yoghurt cups, plastic bags, plastic objects, aluminum foil, badly rinsed tetra packs.
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Everything else (brown bag) All the household garbage not mentioned above has to go into the brown bag. Large objects like furniture are collected five times a year. You have to put a special sticker on it that can be purchased at the Stadswinkel (see below). If the furniture can still be used, or if you want to get rid of an electronic appliance that still works, contact Spit (see below). You can find all the information on the free waste collection calendar, which outlines the garbage pick-up schedule. You can find this online on the website of Leuven, or you can get a copy at the town hall. The environment advisors also provide an English translation. Where to buy garbage bags and stickers City Shop Stadswinkel Waversebaan 66, B-3001 Heverlee (at Heverlee City Hall) - Tel. 016 30 90 56 Open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.and from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. City Registry Office - Bevolkingsdienst stad Leuven Prof. Van Overstraetenplein 1, B-3000 Leuven Open: Only on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (only stickers). You can also find garbage bags in most supermarkets, except at Aldi. SPIT (second-hand shop) Spit is a centre that recycles household items. You can bring them your old furniture, electric appliances, bicycles, clothes, etc. All items should be in a condition that allows them to be re-used. Spit personnel can pick up articles from your house. After repairs are carried out, these items are then sold in Spits shop. Second Hand Shop (Kringloopwinkel) IJzermolenstraat 10-12, B-3001 Heverlee Tel. 016 65 29 35 Fax: 016 35 92 89 info@spit.be www.spit.be Open: Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sports
KULeuven Sports Centre As an imec employee you can apply for a sports card from the KULeuven. The Sports Centre features a state-of-the-art fitness room for which you need to pay a supplement. To book a tennis court, soccer field, or any other facility call or drop by the sports secretariat. If you and your team mates have a sports card, everything is free. You only need to pay extra for indoor tennis. The Sports Centre organizes several recurring events: Bike&Run, Indoor Athletics Meeting, the Flemish University Competition, the Belgian University Competition, Sports Camps for kids, Badminton Competition, .. Tervuursevest 101, B-3001 Heverlee Tel. 016 32 91 30 Fax: 016 32 91 95 sport@kuleuven.be - www.kuleuven.be/sports Open: Weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12.00 noon and from1:00 to 6:00 p.m. (5:30 during the summer months) Sport Clubs in Leuven The Sports Office has a comprehensive list of sport clubs in the Leuven area. This list is continuously updated. Its content comes from information collected by the staff of the Sports Office. It is available in every municipal sports facility. Prof. Van Overstraetenplein 1, B-3000 Leuven sportdienst@leuven.be www.leuven.be
Leuven has several sports facilities: swimming pools, indoor and outdoor facilities.
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Swimming Pools Stadionlaan 4, B-3010 Kessel-Lo 016 25 34 80 Aarschotsesteenweg 730, B-3012 Wilsele-Putkapel 016 44 33 88 Sportoase, Philipssite 6, B-3001 Heverlee 016 74 07 40 www.sportoase.be Indoor Sports Facilities Sportoase, Philipssite 6, B-3001 Heverlee 016 74 07 40 www.sportoase.be Sportcomplex Kessel-Lo, Stadionlaan 4, B- 3010 Kessel-Lo 016 25 34 80 Sporthal Wilsele-centrum Aarschotsesteenweg 163, B-3012 Wilsele 016 44 51 36 Turn- & sportzaal Boudewijnstadion Diestsesteenweg 288, B-3010 Kessel-Lo 016 89 52 12 Sporthal KHLeuven Hertogstraat 178, B-3001 Heverlee Outdoor Sports Facilities Boudewijnstadion Diestsesteenweg, B-3010 Kessel-Lo 016 25 12 21 Den Bruul Brouwersstraat, B-3000 Leuven 016 22 95 51 Atletiek Arena Gaston Roelants Diestsesteenweg, B-3010 Kessel-Lo 016 25 12 21 Fit-o-meter Heverleebos, Naamsesteenweg, Heverlee Jeugdvoetbalcentrum Bruineveld Domeinstraat 61, 3010 Kessel-Lo For information concerning fees & prices contact the staff in charge of the facility or call the sports office: 016 44 26 50
Culture
Leuven is a young and dynamic city where it is almost impossible to get bored. Apart from the numerous cafes and restaurants, there is also a large variety of cultural activities. Tourism IN&UIT Leuven In&Uit (literally In&Out) is located in the sidewing of City Hall. It is a central reception desk where you can pick up all kinds of information and documentation concerning leisure in Leuven. Basically, In&Uit informs tourists as well as residents about how they can spend their free time in Leuven. You can learn about Leuvens major sights, attractions and ongoing expositions, and about what is going on in music and performing arts. Moreover, In&Uit sells visitor tickets for City Hall and other places of interest and entrance tickets for local cultural activities.This is where you can obtain your free copy of Leuvens culture and leisure magazine Uit in Leuven. And while youre there, also take a look at the media screens showing the cultural and tourist highlights of the moment. The Leuven Cultural Centre The Leuven Cultural Centre, with 200,000 visitors and approximately 280 activities per season, is the most important organiser of performing arts in the region. Theyll bring you a fascinating mix of theatre, dance, classical and non-classical music, workshops, lectures, childrens performances, and much more. There is always something for everybody. 30CC 30CC organizes performances, concerts and shows at many different venues around the city: the Stadsschouwburg (municipal theatre) (Bondgenotenlaan 21), the Minnepoort Auditorium (Dirk Boutslaan 62), the Romaanse Poort and the Wagehuys (Brusselsestraat 63), the Predikherenkerk (O.L.Vrouwstraat), the public library Tweebronnen (Diestsestraat 49), and sometimes even on the citys street corners. After the performance you can always continue chatting and meeting people in any of the various halls where these activities are held. There is also a cultural caf - Improvisio - in the main area of 30CC (Romaanse Poort, Brusselsestraat 63). 30CC also has a supporting function for the musical company Page 31
La Petite Bande, and the theatre companies Braakland/ZheBilding and fABULEUS. You can also contact the centre to rent some of the facilities mentioned above. Brusselsestraat 63, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 23 84 27 Fax: 016 29 12 1530CC@leuven.be - www.30CC.be/ In&Uit Leuven City Hall Naamsestraat 1, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 20 30 20 Fax 016 20 30 03 inenuit@leuven.be - www.inenuitleuven.be STUK STUK is an important venue in Leuven and one of the most important arts centres in Flanders. Its programming features theatre, dance, films, music, fine arts, and new media. In addition to the big names, you can also find the work of innovative newcomers. Prices are in general very affordable. The opening week, at the beginning of the cultural season, is a unique opportunity to get to know STUK. STUK also has an elegant grand caf where you can drink or eat something, read a newspaper or a book or go on internet for free. Friday evenings you can listen to a DJ and every Sunday evening you can enjoy a free jazz concert (Jazz on Sunday). CinemaZed (see further on this page) is incorporated into STUK and offers a wide range of films. Naamsestraat 96, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 32 03 20 ticket@stuk.be - www.stuk.be
Movie Theatres in Leuven Kinepolis Leuven Kinepolis is a large movie theatre company located in most big cities of Belgium. Bondgenotenlaan 145-149, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 31 96 00 www.kinepolis.be Cinema Zed Cinema Zed is a not-for-profit movie theatre screening primarily films from the alternative circuit. Naamsestraat 96, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 32 03 20 Monday to Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30p.m. www.cinemazed.be Museums Municipal Museum M. Leuven Museum M is located in the centre of Leuven and displays art from Leuven & Brabant from the middle ages untill the 19th century. Willemsstraat 7, 3000 Leuven Tel. 016 22 69 06 Fax 016 23 89 30 M@leuven.be - www.leuven.be/M M/Treasury of Saint Peters Church Grote Markt, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 29 51 33 *From March 16 to October 15: Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sundays and public holidays from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 pm *From October 16 to March 15: closed on Monday
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Libraries
Imec Library Imec has its very own library with scientific publications and books! Its permanently accessible for consultation and reading, if you have a valid imec badge.
Leuven Public Library TWEEBRONNEN The mission of the Leuven public library is to promote knowledge and general culture among the inhabitants of Leuven. The library has two floors, each with its own opening hours and distinct character. The upper floor houses the reading room Here you will find reference works in several languages, journals, newspapers and weekly periodicals (also in languages other than Dutch). There is a documentation centre that provides information on the province of Vlaams Brabant and its various communities, internet PCs, online catalogues of the collections. The reading room has plenty of seating, working tables and a few screened-off study carrels. The lower floor houses the lending library The library has extensive collections on loan: novels in Dutch, French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Kurdish; nonfiction works (books and dvds) ordered by subject and a diverse collection of comic books. But there is more. The library presents a large collection of cds and dvds and a collection of reference works on music, movies and stage arts. You can borrow library items for four weeks. To be able to borrow library materials, you need a library card. When youre over 18, theres a small annual fee, when youre younger than 18, its for free. Most of the materials in the library can be lent free of charge; only cds and movies have a lending fee. Rijschoolstraat 4, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 22 65 22. bibliotheek@leuven.be www.leuven.be/bibliotheek Opening hours Monday: closed Tuesday: 12:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Wednesday: 12:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. Thursday: 12:00 a.m. 8:00 p.m. Friday: 10:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. Saturday: 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
KULeuven University Library The university library system is composed of more than 30 libraries spread out over the various campuses. The Central library has a special mission: to collect and preserve old book collections and to preserve old documents of general interest. In the reading room you will find an extensive collection of encyclopedias, bibliographies and reference works; in addition, there is a collection of basic reference works for each discipline. Most books and periodicals are kept in closed stacks but you can request them at the circulation desk. Faculty or department libraries house books and periodicals in their respective fields. The beautiful Campus Library Arenberg (W. de Croylaan 6, Heverlee) is the main library for reseachers in the fields of Science, Bioscience Engineering, Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science. University Library Mgr.Ladeuzeplein 21, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 32 46 60 Fax: 016 32 46 91 centrale.bibliotheek@bib.kuleuven.be
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Religion
Masses in Dutch Roman-Catholic Church of St John the Baptist Groot Begijnhof Groot Begijnhof, 3000 Leuven 0472 45 49 11 Sundays at 11:00 a.m. Saturday evenings at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday evenings student celebration 6:15p.m.
Masses in English Roman-Catholic University Parish KULeuven - International Community The University Parish has an English-speaking international community whose goal is to welcome people from anywhere in the world to form a Christian community. They foster an open atmosphere where people from different backgrounds, cultures and countries, and various conducts in life, can meet and experience Christian community in the Catholic tradition. Every Sunday of the year, at 10:30 a.m., the community celebrates the Eucharist. The liturgy is followed by a reception where people have the opportunity to meet informally. The community publishes a weekly bulletin entitled Bridges. It contains reflections, news, and spiritual-theological insights. It is available at the Sunday liturgy.
Protestant Service Jesuit Church There is a Protestant service in Dutch every Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Waversebaan220, B-3001 Heverlee. Tel. 016 22 98 83 Ernst.veen@pandora.be Contact person: Ernst Veen Orthodox The Orthodox Parish of the Holy Apostel and Evangelist Mattheos All services (liturgy Sundays at 10:00 a.m. and vespers Saturdays at 6:00 p.m.) in Dutch and Old-Slavonic, occasionally with some Greek, English or Romanian. Contact Person: Priest, Father Alexander Yavarouski, speeks Dutch and Russian, Tervuursestraat 56 (Collegium pro Latina America or COPAL), B- 3000 Leuven Tel. 0498 83 45 56 aliaksandr.yavarouski@pandora.be www.leuven.orthodoxy.ru/ (website in Dutch, Russian and Greek).
Sacraments (baptism, confirmation, first communion, reconciliation, and marriage) are prepared and celebrated as community events. Minderbroedersstraat 15, bus 0.09, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 32 08 13 or 016 32 08 14 upicmnm@yahoo.com www.kuleuven.be/up Responsable: Reimund Bieringer Masses in English: Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Holy Spirit College Naamsestraat 40, B-3000 Leuven In English: Sundays at 11:30 a.m. Anglican The Anglican community of St M&Ms: St. Martha and St. Mary of Bethany Anglican Church of Leuven The Anglican community M&Ms has a celebration every Sunday evening at 6:30 p.m. in the St. Martha and St. Mary of Bethany Chapel, Minderbroedersstraat, 15 (Justus Lipsius College). Justus Lipsius College, Minderbroedersstraat 15, B-3000 Leuven Contact person: Church Warden churchwarden@anglicanleuven.be www.anglicanleuven.be
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Evangelical The International Church of Evangelicals in Leuven Services in the Pauscollege, Hogeschoolplein 3, on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (separate nursery and Sunday School for children under 12). Pauscollege, Hogeschoolplein 3, B-3000 Leuven Worship Service: Sundays at 10:00 a.m. Contact persons: Kees & Toos Rosies Beekstraat 39, 3051 Sint-Joris-Weert Tel. 016 40 54 67 or 0475 83 27 46 www.icel.be
Masses in Arabic Muslim International Muslim Students Association of Leuven (IMSAL ) IMSAL is the official representative of Muslim students of KU Leuven. It has its own Students Mosque in Rijschoolstraat 25, where the daily five prayers are held in addition to the Friday prayer preceded by Khutba (sermon) in both Arabic and English. Friday prayer starts at 1:00 pm (2:00 pm. during the summer months). Celebration of Islamic feasts and daily collective Iftar in Ramadan are arranged every year. Rijschoolstraat 25, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 33 24 39 For contact: imsalcom@yahoo.com www.imsal.be Al Fath mosque The mosque belongs to the resident Muslim community of Leuven. Here the daily five prayers are held as well as Friday and Feasts prayers. The Khutbas (sermons) of Friday and Eid prayers are delivered only in Arabic. Penitentienenstraat 33, B-3000 Leuven Contact person: Mr. Bachiri Tel. 016 20 87 02
Masses in French Roman-Catholic University Parish KULeuven French speaking community The University Parish has also a frenchspeaking, african community. The community celebrates the Eucharist at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Leo XIII-seminary, entrance via Vesaliusstraat 2. Tiensestraat 124, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 32 55 85 www.kuleuven.be/up/international/francais/ Responsable: Catho Schoofs Masses in French: Sundays at 11 a.m.
Other Cities around Leuven Brussels and Antwerp have communities of most religions, including a large Muslim, Jewish and Orthodox community. Smaller denominations and religions most likely have a community in Brussels, Antwerp and/or Ghent as well.
Masses in Spanish Roman-Catholic Saint Michaels Church Sint-Michielskerk A Roman Catholic Mass is held in Spanish on Sundays at 12:00 noon. Naamsestraat 57A, B-3000 Leuven Tel. 016 20 09 06 Contact person: Paul Aerts Tel. 016 31 63 69 paul.aerts@chello.be
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14. HR contact information HR Desk

For all practical information on employment and HR administration: Tel: Mail: +32 16 28 77 99 hrdesk@imec.be
Relocation
For all practical information on relocation and your stay in Belgium: Tel: Mail: +32 16 28 13 71 Veronique.vanautgaerden@imec.be Marion.vantichelen@imec.be
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Hubert De Neve Executive Vice President Human Resources

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Living & working in Leuven

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2. ARRIVAL IN BELGIUM A. Prior to arrival Relocation

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3. ACCOMMODATION Searching housing

Cost (indicative prices)

Supplementary expenses (utilities)

What to do in case of problems?

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SOS Emergency services and numbers

100 101 112 105 070 25 70 25 070 25 40 40 0900 10 500

Ambulance and fire department

Police emergency number

International emergency number

Red Cross Flanders ambulance service

Pharmacies on duty (after hours and on weekends) Poison antidote centre

070 24 52 45 070 34 43 44 02 649 95 55

Card stop for bank and credit cards

Suicide prevention centre

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5. SOCIAL SECURITY & INSURANCES Social security

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6. MONEY MATTERS Payment

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7. DAY CARE & BABY SITTING Day care services

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8. EDUCATION School system

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9. TRANSPORT Getting there

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Living & working in Leuven

Living & working in Leuven

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10. COMMUNICATION Postal services

Cable television and digital TV

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12. SECURITY, POLICE & LEGALITIES Leuven Police Headquarters

Births, marriages and deaths

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13. DAY-TO-DAY LIFE Shopping

Laundrettes and dry cleaning

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Living & working in Leuven

Living & working in Leuven

Living & working in Leuven

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Living & working in Leuven

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14. HR contact information HR Desk

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